Evaluating Our Board Shadowing Programme
June 27, 2025In 2022, Smallwood Trust kicked off a three-year pilot project, the Board Shadowing Programme, which offers women with lived experience the opportunity to shadow a Board member, attend Trust meetings, receive mentoring, and gain insights into governance and grant-making—while also bringing fresh perspectives that strengthen Smallwood’s decision-making and mission to enable women to be financially resilient.
Anj Handa of Inspiring Women Changemakers, undertook a review of the first two cohorts and is now undertaking a broader evaluation of the three-year pilot. We spoke to Anj about this evaluation process.
What format will the evaluation take (e.g. written report, workshop)?
The evaluation will take the form of a report to the Board of Directors towards the end of the year, with a series of activities to provide input into the report being undertaken in the meantime.
Who will be involved in the evaluation (e.g. participants, team members)?
The year three cohort, Board members and Claris d’Cruz, the consultant leading Smallwood Trust’s Governance review, have been interviewed while year one and two participants were invited to contribute via a survey. A workshop for all Board Shadowees will be held in July where participants will have another opportunity to have their say as a collective.
Why does now feel like the right time to reflect and evaluate the programme?
This wider evaluation comes at an important time in Smallwood Trust’s Strategy and Governance review. Having served their respective terms, the current Chair of the Board and Vice-Chair will stand down in October 2025 and so recruitment for their successors and the concurrent recruitment of additional trustees is underway. It is anticipated that new Board members will be in post by the end of 2025.
What are you hoping we’ll learn or improve as a result of this evaluation?
This three-year evaluation has three key aims:
- Provide an overview of the wider benefits of this Board Shadowing Programme in terms of the impact and influence made
- Make recommendations for the design and development of future Board Shadowing Schemes (cohort 4 specifically and principles for future cohorts)
- Embed the Board Shadowing program into processes and plans as an integral part of the Smallwood Trust strategy, recognising its contribution to the Smallwood Trust mission of enabling women to be financially resilient
What are the main questions and themes the evaluation is focusing on?
We would like to see where consensus emerges from the following themes:
· What the program is for: impact, influence, ripple effect (on individuals, on the organisation, externally)
· Recommendations on structure (e.g. as a pipeline for trustees, as an advisory board or shadow Board)
· Ideal duration
· Feedback on the recruitment and onboarding process
· Desired opportunities for training, development and networking
· Intersectionality and accessibility
Anj’s feedback and insights will be compiled to make recommendations to the Board by the end of 2025 and we will update this website with more information then.
